Dr. Süleyman Uluçay, who has been serving as the Mayor of Gazimağusa since December 25, 2022, was born in Balıkesir village, which is located in the Lefkoşa region of Cyprus, in 1962. Due to the inter-communal conflicts in Cyprus, the Uluçay family and the other Turkish Cypriot Family migrated from Balıkesir. Uluçay family migrated first to Cihangir and then to Gazimağusa.
Mayor Süleyman Uluçay studied Pertev Paşa Primary School and Gazi Primary School. He completed his secondary and high school education at Namık Kemal High School and graduated in 1980. Uluçay was part of the Namık Kemal High School Volleyball Team, which received awards in the volleyball competitions organized by TÜBİTAK between high schools. He actively played for the school volleyball team throughout his high school years. Additionally, he served as the school captain between 1979 and 1980. Uluçay began his university education at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine in 1980. After graduation, he successfully passed the medicine specialty exams and completed his specialization training in the Department of Urology at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine. He started his career as a urologist in 1992. From 1992 to 1994, he fulfilled his 22-month military service as a reserve officer during the 15th term. After completing his military service, he worked as a Urology Specialist in Yozgat for a short period.
Uluçay participated in the vacant position exam held in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus(TRNC) and started working as a Urology Specialist at Nicosia Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital in 1995. During his tenure at Nicosia Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital, he also provided services at Cengiz Topel Hospital once a week for 8 years. Dr. Süleyman Uluçay performed the first kidney transplant surgery in TRNC during his 27-year tenure at Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital. He also carried out successful transplant surgeries, urological cancer as well as kidney stone surgeries and treatments, contributed to the development of treatments in this field, and achieved pioneering successes. He played important roles in the establishment of Mağusa Tıp Merkezi Hospital, which started its operations in 1995 and has been a pioneer in the development of private healthcare services in TRNC.
After 2017, Dr. Süleyman Uluçay only served at Nicosia Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital and did not work at private clinics or hospitals. He retired from the public sector in May 2022. He has numerous articles published in Turkey and international journals in the field of urology.
From childhood to adulthood, Uluçay has been closely involved with the issues that is connected to TRNC. Alongside his friends, he engaged in activities for the betterment of his country and its future through organizations such as Halk-Der and the Revolutionary Youth Association. Even after moving to Ankara for university education, he continued to work in collaboration with Turkish and Cypriot friends who shared similar goals, and he was among the founders of the University Representatives Council.
Due to his special interest in recent Cypriot history, Uluçay places great importance on narratives from individuals who lived through those times and books written on the subject. He has authored numerous articles on the recent history and current issues of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in various newspapers. With a principle of voluntarism, he has contributed to various health and social responsibility projects. During a major fire in the mountains of Kyrenia, he responded to a radio call and participated in firefighting efforts alongside a group of his friends from Gazimağusa.
Dr. Süleyman Uluçay was a member of the Cyprus Turkish Medical Association, the Cyprus Turkish Medical Union, Tıp-İş (Medical Workers’ Union), KTAMS (Cyprus Turkish Public Workers’ Union), and the Cyprus Turkish Urology Association. He was also a member of the Turkish Urology Association in Turkey. Uluçay is a father of three children and has a good command of English.